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Parental care in mammals

Global regressions of ecological population densities on body mass for mammals and for terrestrial animals as a whole show that local population energy-use is approximately independent of adult body mass—over a body mass range spanning more than 11 orders of magnitude. This independence is represented by the slope of the regressions approximating –0.75, the reciprocal of the way that individual metabolic requirements scale with body mass. The pattern still holds for mammalian primary consumers when the data are broken down by geographic area, by broad habitat-type and by individual community. Slopes for mammalian secondary consumers are also not statistically distinguishable from –0.75. For any given body mass temperate herbivores maintain on average population densities of 1.5 to 2.0 times those of tropical ones, though slopes do not differ. Terrestrial animals of all sizes exhibit approximately the same range of population energy-use values. These results agree with those reported for population energy-budgets. It is suggested that rough independence of body mass and the energy-use of local populations is a widespread rule of animal ecology and community structure.

Interspecific allometry of population density in mammals and other animals: the independence of body mass and population energy‐use

A variety of approaches have been used to understand the evolution of male parental care. General frameworks are provided by Trivers’ theory of sexual selection (1972), the theory of life history strategies (see Horn, 1978; Stearns, 1976) and game theory (Grafen and Sibly, 1978; Maynard Smith, 1977). The factors invoked to explain male parental investment have varied with the level of analysis; intrinsic biological factors such as internal versus external fertilization (Dawkins and Carlisle, 1976; Ridley, 1978) or the capacity to invest (Orians, 1969) have been used to illuminate differences between large taxonomic units such as the vertebrate classes; ecological factors such as harshness (Wilson, 1975), richness (Jenni, 1974), and unpredictability (Pitelka et al., 1974) have all been invoked to explain the presence of unusual levels of male investment in smaller taxonomic units.

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The Evolution of Male Parental Investment in Mammals

Although many studies treat the causes and consequences of dispersal in mammalian populations, less attention has been given to the individuals that do not leave their birthplaces. Yet natal philopatry, which we define as continued residence on the natal home range past the age of independence from the parents, occurs in virtually all gregarious mammals. We here document its widespread occurrence among solitary species as well. By studying the distribution of natal philopatry across various ecological and life-history regimes we attempt to identify its ultimate causes. The variables that emerge as possibly important include adult turnover rates, habitat saturation, spatial patchiness of resources, advantages of familiarity with the natal home range, and reliance on extensive home range "improvements" such as burrow systems of food caches. The most interesting consequence of natal philopatry is the continued spatial association of kin into adulthood, a prerequisite for many phenomena common to gregarious s...

Natal philopatry among solitary mammals

Many tree species that depend on scatter-hoarding animals for seed dispersal produce massive crops of large seeds at irregular intervals. Mast seeding and large seed size in these species have been explained as adaptations to increase animal dispersal and reduce predation. We studied how seed size and seed abundance simultaneously influenced seed dispersal and predation by scatter-hoarding rodents in the large-seeded rain forest tree Carapa procera (Meliaceae) in French Guiana. We individually tracked the fates of 3000 seeds, using remote video monitoring and thread-marking. Seed size was manipulated by broadly varying intraspecific seed mass, whereas effects of seed abundance were examined by tracking seeds in three seed-rich years and two seed-poor years. The hypotheses, that seed mass and seed abundance both enhance dispersal success and that seed abundance reinforces the effect of seed mass, were supported by the results. Most seeds were removed by the scatter-hoarding rodent red acouchy (Myoprocta acouchy) and subsequently were buried in scattered, single-seeded caches up to distances >100 m. Seeds that were not removed failed to establish seedlings. Seed removal was slower, pre-removal seed predation was greater, and seed dispersal was less far in seed-rich years than in seed-poor years, suggesting poorer dispersal under seed abundance. However, this was more than counterbalanced by a disproportionally greater survival of cached seeds in seed-rich years. The per capita probability of seed survival and seedling establishment was at least 4½ times greater under seed abundance. Large seeds were removed faster, were more likely to be scatter-hoarded, and were dispersed farther away than smaller ones, resulting in a higher probability of seedling establishment for larger seeds. Size discrimination was greater under seed abundance, albeit only during seed removal. Overall, large seeds shed in rich years had the highest probability of seedling establishment. Hence, both larger seed size and greater seed abundance stimulate rodents to act more as dispersers and less as predators of seeds. We conclude that scatter-hoarding rodents can select for both large seed crops and large seeds, which may reinforce mast seeding.

Seed mass and mast seeding enhance dispersal by a neotropical scatter-hoarding rodent

Smythe, Nicholas. The Natural History of the Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 257, 52 pages, 25 figures, 2 tables, 1978.—In this report the behavioral ecology of the Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), a large caviomorph rodent, living on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal Zone is described. This two phase study includes social structure, activity patterns, maturation, courting, agonistic and comfort behavior, and acoustic, vocal, visual, and olfactory communication systems, as well as the interrelationship of the animals' behavior with the environment. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SERIES COVER DESICN: The coral Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus). Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Smythe, Nicholas The natural history of the Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) (Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 257) Bibliography: p. Supt. of Docs, no.: SI 1.27:257 1. Central American agouti. 2Mammals—Panama—Barro Colorado IslandI. Title. II. Series: Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 257 QL1.S54 no. 257 [QL737.R644] 591'.08s [599\3234] 77-608187

Nicholas Smythe

Papers

The natural history of the Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata)